Now available in (Think) Blue: VW reveals the Beetle TDI Clean Diesel at the Chicago Auto Show

The Volkswagen Beetle is known for inducing smiles, and the latest addition to the Beetle family is no exception. This month at the Chicago Auto Show Volkswagen announced that a TDI Clean Diesel model of the 2013 Beetle will be available this Summer.

The 2013 Beetle TDI is the first TDI Clean Diesel Beetle we’ve offered since 2006, but we think you’ll agree that it was worth the wait. It’s the most fuel-efficient Beetle yet, with a predicted fuel economy of 29 mpg city and 39 mpg highway. Besides its excellent efficiency, what sets this model apart is what’s under the hood.

The Beetle TDI makes the most of Volkswagen’s innovative 2.0-liter turbocharged, direct-injection Clean Diesel engine, which puts out 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. That’s great news for your right foot, because all that extra torque equals substantially more responsive driving.

We don’t use the term “Clean Diesel” lightly. Like our other TDI models, the Beetle TDI features an exhaust system with a particulate filter and no less than three catalytic converters: one for oxidation, one for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and one for hydrogen sulfide. For those of you who aren’t chemistry majors, that means that engine emissions are reduced. For that, we can all breathe easier.

The Beetle TDI will be available in three trim levels, including a TDI with Sunroof and a TDI with Sunroof, Sound, and Navigation. All three levels are very nicely equipped, with standard features like power windows with one-touch up/down; cruise control; V-Tex Leatherette seating; the Kaeferfach secondary glove box; Bluetooth®; a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel with audio controls; three auxiliary gauges; Keyless entry with push-button start; and a Media Device Interface with iPod® cable.